33 MD: Melasma Fix?

By rworrell

Created 07/30/2014 - 6:47am

POSTED: Wednesday, July 30, 2014 - 6:47am

UPDATED: Wednesday, July 30, 2014 - 6:51am

BATON ROUGE, La (NBC33) — It's even more reason to stay out of the sun.

Too much sun can cause a common skin condition called Melasma. It's easy to get but often times difficult to treat. The disorder happens when the color-making cells in your skin produce too much color. The result: discoloration on areas of the body that get a lot of sun like the cheeks, nose, forehead and chin.

While the sun can trigger Melasma breakouts, hormones can also cause them. Melasma is also known as the "mask of pregnancy." Dermatologists at The Dermatology Clinic in Baton Rouge say 90% of patients are women.

"I think most people come in knowing they have dark spots on their face but they think its just sun spots. They don't realize its a little bit different than that" says Dr. Nicole Mathis. She says most of the women who come in looking for a Melasma fix are most self-conscious about the upper lip Melasma because in most cases the shadow it creates above the mouth looks like a mustache.

NBC33's Emily Turner has been battling Melasma for years. She tries to stay out of the sun, wears her sunscreen and has tried numerous lotions and creams to help lighten the dark Melasma on her face to no avail. Dr. Mathis suggested she try out a Melanage Peel and Emily is pleased with her results.

To get more information on the Melanage Peel get in touch with Dr. Mathis at The Dermatology Clinic[1]. Treatments start at around $250.